User researcher

Band 6 · User researcher · 427 job evaluation points

UK GDaD PCF level: User researcher

Most often performed at Civil Service grade HEO or SEO.

A user researcher is usually embedded in a multidisciplinary team and responsible for planning and carrying out user research activities. At this level, you will be expected to work independently on a team.

Contains public sector information from the UK Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (https://understand-digital-data-roles-skills.service.gov.uk/), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.

Responsibilities

Plan and carry out user research for a multidisciplinary team, choosing methods that fit the questions and the participants.
Research with clinicians and care staff in their work settings to understand clinical workflows and safety-critical tasks.
Plan research with people in vulnerable circumstances safely, and judge when ethics or research governance approval is needed.
Share insight that helps the team prioritise, including evidence about safety and accessibility.
Bring the team into research so they understand users first-hand.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Agile research practicesUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: understand and explain the benefits and limitations of agile working design and conduct your research so the findings can be embedded into an agile workflow understand and work with the different roles in a multidisciplinary digital team to plan and do user research
Analysis and synthesisUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: understand how to apply basic techniques for the analysis of research data and synthesis of findings effectively involve your team in analysis and synthesis present clear findings that colleagues can understand and use
Inclusive researchUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: understand the diversity of users of government services and the need to make services usable and accessible for everyone work with colleagues to include many kinds of users in appropriate research activities
Research management, leadership and assuranceUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: ensure research has a clearly defined scope and purpose get advice or support from someone more experienced when you need help to ensure research is defined before it starts build your understanding of good practice standards for user research improve your practice through reflection and feedback
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: identify important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly tailor communication to stakeholders' needs and work with them to build relationships while meeting user needs build and reach consensus with stakeholders work to improve stakeholder relationships using evidence to explain decisions
User research methodsUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: plan and conduct a user research project, with support understand when to use basic user research methods and how to apply them correctly effectively involve your team in research activities
User-centred practice and advocacyUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: describe and use a range of user-centred practices advocate for the user by sharing research insights on user needs and changing user behaviour with your team
Understanding health and care servicesThis reference	Working (2)	You can: explain the clinical and care workflows your work supports use common health care terms correctly with clinical and care colleagues recognise when a change could affect patient care and raise it
Ethical research with patients and care staffThis reference	Working (2)	You can: plan research sessions that get informed consent and protect participants' wellbeing and privacy adapt sessions for people who are unwell, distressed, or in vulnerable circumstances, and know when to stop recognise and report safeguarding concerns that come up in research
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Working (2)	You can: apply data protection principles to your work contribute to data protection impact assessments handle information requests and records correctly
Equality, diversity, and inclusionThis reference	Working (2)	You can: recognise and challenge behaviour that excludes others consider different needs when you plan your work
Clinical risk managementThis reference	Awareness (1)	You can: explain how health IT systems can harm patients, for example through wrong, missing, or delayed information report a possible clinical safety issue through the right route

Typical qualifications and experience

A degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent experience.
Experience of planning and carrying out user research.

Band 6 outline

Knowledge: Specialist knowledge across a range of procedures, built through further training or experience.
Autonomy: Works independently; interprets policy for own area; seeks advice on complex issues.
Scope: A product, service, or workstream.
Leadership: May lead a small team or mentor colleagues.
Accountability: Outcomes of own workstream and quality of advice given.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	4	Gives complex, sensitive, or contentious information needing persuasion, negotiation, or training skills, or highly complex information.	32
Knowledge, training, and experience	6	Specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (postgraduate diploma level or equivalent).	156
Analytical and judgemental skills	4	Judgements on complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	42
Planning and organisational skills	3	Plans several complex activities, adjusting plans as needed.	27
Physical skills	3	Developed skills needing speed or accuracy, such as advanced keyboard use.	27
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	2	Implements policies for own area and proposes changes to its practices.	12
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	1	Takes personal care of equipment and resources used in own work.	5
Responsibility for people	2	Supervises or coordinates staff day to day, trains others regularly, or gives basic HR advice.	12
Responsibility for information resources	4	Adapts or designs information systems to others' specifications, or runs information systems for a department as the main duty.	24
Responsibility for research and development	3	Carries out research or development within formal programmes as a main duty.	21
Freedom to act	4	Results are defined, but the job holder decides how to achieve them, within broad policy.	32
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	2	Occasional exposure, or frequent indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	11
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 6: 396 to 465)			427